IT service status checkers
Published on: 16th July 2015 | Updated on: 13th July 2026
IT service status checkers can help pharmacy teams quickly identify whether an issue is affecting a national NHS service, a supplier system, or local pharmacy equipment.
Check your IT system supplier’s service status
Many IT system suppliers provide service status information on their websites. Some also share updates through customer portals, email alerts, or social media channels.
Checking your supplier’s service status page, where available, can help you to:
- Confirm whether a known issue is affecting other pharmacy teams;
- Find updates about ongoing incidents;
- Access advice on temporary workarounds; and
- Check when a service has been restored.
Check the status of national NHS services
Pharmacy teams can access NHS service status information through the NHS National Service Desk (NSD) Customer Portal. Access requires an nhs.net account and portal registration.
The portal provides live information about the availability of national NHS services, including:
- Electronic Prescription Service (EPS);
- NHS Spine;
- nhs.net; and
- Other national NHS digital services.
If your pharmacy is experiencing issues with EPS or another national service, the portal can help you establish whether there is a wider NHS incident.
If no national issue is reported, the problem may instead relate to:
- Your IT system supplier’s system;
- Your local network or internet connection; or
- Pharmacy equipment and infrastructure.
In these situations, you should contact your IT system supplier’s helpdesk or local IT support provider as appropriate.
Stay informed about service issues
We recommend that pharmacy teams bookmark the NHS National Service Desk (NSD) Customer Portal. The portal provides:
- Details of current incidents;
- Information about recently resolved issues;
- Historic incident records; and
- Planned maintenance notifications.
Where available, pharmacy teams should also sign up for text message or email alerts to receive updates about service interruptions and restorations.
For more information on this topic please email it@cpe.org.uk
